Om Namah Shivaya

Dubai Olympics 2020 bid

2009-11-02T23:22:00.000-08:00

Dubai maps 2020 Olympic bid strategy - Tue November 3, 2009 12:02 am.

The committee of the 'Dubai 2020' Working Group, tasked with bringing the Olympic games to the city, held its first meeting Monday at the Emirates Towers under the Chairmanship of the Crown Prince of Dubai HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended a segment of the meeting according to the official news agency WAM.

Sheikh Mohammed directed the Chairman and members of the Group to work as a one team to enable the UAE to win bids for Expo and the Olympics in 2020, WAM said.

"Nothing is impossible as long as we have the determination for change, not change of determination," Sheikh Mohammed told the Group members.

The Group members included several other members of the emirate's political elite, suggesting strong government support for a possible bid.

The Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki said they were considering bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics in tandem with a campaign to promote a nuclear-free world.

Rome and Venice are reportedly preparing to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Other cities including Cape Town, Durban and Rabat have also been mentioned as possible candidates.

The International Olympic Committee is to announce the 2020 host city in 2013.

Madhu Engineer

2009-10-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Madhu,

Hope you have received my e-mail.

I get the feeting that you are afraid of people living in the neighborhood of the Plot where the house we are planning to construct.

There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of anyone at Omalloor. It was last year that we had some problems with the neighbors on whom I initiated an injunction order through my borther-in-law, P.K. Sasidharan, Advocate Pathanamthitta, restraining the party from walking across my land, i.e. through the plot in front of the plot we are planning to construct the house.

Now everybody knows that I am constructing a house at the said plot. In fact, when I was in Kerala, I spoke to P.K. Sasidharan about any people in the neighborhood at Omalloor troubling us while the construction work is being done. He said that there is nothing to worry about such things, as I am constructing a house on my plot, and if there is any problem, that he will take care of it.

So, if you come across any problems from any people at Omalloor, just let me know, or Mr. P.K. Sasidharan, whose telephone number I already gave you in my first e-mail to you. I will speak once again to Mr. P.K. Sasidharan if you want it. But once again, you need not worry about or afraid of anything at Omalloor. You are my engineer / contractor, and I will deal with anyone who may try to create problem for us, through the proper legal channels, if that becomes necesssary.

Far from it, I have ordered for two more loads of the same sand (gravel) through Mr. Pattar, which will be unloaded in the next few days to further level the entrance from main-road to the plots. As soon as that is done, you can further make the pathway better by using your men, material, and efforts. Any costs thereof will be paid by me. Just let me know how much will it cost.

As far as the stream right in front of the plot is concerned, please make an access by constructing a slab; also at my cost. Please note that it is not possible for me to do things at Omalloor while I am in Sharjah. So, now everything is up to you. Be brave, and start the necessary works as soon as the weather conditions permit it.

Best regards,

PRATHAP G. Sharjah

Warren Buffett

2009-10-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

A Message From Warren E. Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Dear Reader,

You probably know that I don't make stock recommendations. However, I have three thoughts regarding your personal expenditures that can save you real money. I'm suggesting that you call on the services of three subsidiaries of Berkshire: GEICO, Borsheim's and Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska (BHLN).

I estimate that about 40% of all auto drivers in the country can save money by insuring with GEICO. The figure is not 100% because insurers differ in their underwriting judgments, with some favoring drivers who live in certain geographical areas and work in certain occupations more than GEICO does. I believe, however, that GEICO more frequently offers the low price than does any other national carrier selling insurance to all comers. You can quickly find out whether you can save money by going to www.geico.com or by calling 800-555-2756.

Fine jewelry, watches and giftware will almost certainly cost you less at Borsheim's. I've looked at the figures for all publicly-owned jewelry companies and the contrast with Borsheim's is startling. Our one-store operation, with its huge volume, enables us to operate with costs that are fully 15-20 percentage points below those incurred by our competitors. We pass the benefits of this low-cost structure along to our customers.

Every year Borsheim's sends out thousands of selections to customers who want a long-distance opportunity to inspect what it offers and decide which, if any, item they'd like to purchase. We do a huge amount of business in this low-key way, which allows the shopper to conveniently see the exceptional values that we offer. Call Joe Corritore or Susan Jacques at Borsheim's (800-642-4438) and save substantial money on your next purchase of jewelry.

Finally, BHLN sells annuity products directly over the internet at its website www.brkdirect.com. Like GEICO and Borsheim's, BHLN maintains a low cost structure and, thus, can offer savings to many customers. By visiting the web-site, you can evaluate the specific products, get quotes and actually make a purchase. Check to see whether one or more of the products meet your financial planning needs.

Sincerely, Warren E. Buffett

Dear Mr. Warren E.Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.,

You are gem of a salesman, and your spirit, enthusiasm, and business acumen, is what made you the richest man in the world. Hats off to you, Sir. - Prathap G., Sharjah, United Arab Emirates – 22nd October, 2009.

Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy

2009-10-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

UAE issues law on peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Dubai, Oct 5 (PTI) The United Arab Emirates has issued a federal law under which a nuclear regulatory body will be set up to monitor the peaceful use of atomic energy.

The move is in accordance with the criteria set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a framework for the successful implementation of the Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, official news agency, Wam, said.

The law, issued by President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, prohibits the development, construction or operation of uranium enrichment or spent fuel reprocessing facilities within the borders of the UAE.

In keeping with its policy commitment to complete operational transparency, the UAE consulted closely with the IAEA as well as the governments of major nuclear suppliers (e.g., France the US, the UK, Japan, South Korea etc.) in the development of the law, the Wam release said.

Hats off to the President of the United Arab Emirates - I love it. Every country must follow suit - Prathap G., Sharjah

The front elevation of Prathap G's house being built

2009-10-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ladies & Gentlemen of this world,

It appears the people in the neighborhood of the Plot on which the house is scheduled to be constructed are secretly trying to block construction of the house. This is evident from the fact that the Engineer responsible for starting construction work faced some aggressive movements and overtures from the neighborhood of the Plot when he was making his initial visits to the site. The Engineer even heard some threatening talk emanating from the northern part of the plot where there is a house whose inhibitants are seeking a pathway through my properties to enable them drive a car through it, as against a 3 feet pathway I am prepared to provide them (as per law, and as stated in the property ownership documents in my possession). The said neighbor already has a proper road on their eastern side starting from their house via the western side of Devi Temple near the Main Omalloor-Pathanamthitta Road.

No matter what, I will remove any obstacle that may come in the way when the house construction begins. Therefore, Engineer Madhu, need not worrry about the hoodlums in the neighborhood of the Plot. In order to encourage Madbu, I have sent him an e-mail yesterday (25.10.2009); the contents of which is as follows:

Dear Madhu,

Hope you have received my e-mail.

I get the feeting that you are afraid of people living in the neighborhood of the Plot where the house we are planning to construct.

There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of anyone at Omalloor. It was last year that we had some problems with the neighbors on whom I initiated an injunction order through my borther-in-law, P.K. Sasidharan, Advocate Pathanamthitta, restraining the party from walking across my land, i.e. through the plot in front of the plot we are planning to construct the house.

Now everybody knows that I am constructing a house at the said plot. In fact, when I was in Kerala, I spoke to P.K. Sasidharan about any people in the neighborhood at Omalloor troubling us while the construction work is being done. He said that there is nothing to worry about such things, as I am constructing a house on my plot, and if there is any problem, that he will take care of it.

So, if you come across any problems from any people at Omalloor, just let me know, or Mr. P.K. Sasidharan, whose telephone number I already gave you in my first e-mail to you. I will speak once again to Mr. P.K. Sasidharan if you want it. But once again, you need not worry about or afraid of anything at Omalloor. You are my engineer / contractor, and I will deal with anyone who may try to create problem for us, through the proper legal channels, if that becomes necesssary.

Far from it, I have ordered for two more loads of the same sand (gravel) through Mr. Pattar, which will be unloaded in the next few days to further level the entrance from main-road to the plots. As soon as that is done, you can further make the pathway better by using your men, material, and efforts. Any costs thereof will be paid by me. Just let me know how much will it cost.

As far as the stream right in front of the plot is concerned, please make an access by constructing a slab; also at my cost. Please note that it is not possible for me to do things at Omalloor while I am in Sharjah. So, now everything is up to you. Be brave, and start the necessary works as soon as the weather conditions permit it.

Best regards,

PRATHAP G.

CONMIX LIMITED, P O BOX 5936, SHARJAH, UAE - TEL. +971 6 5314155 - FAX. +9716 5314332
e-mail: conmix@conmix.com - prathap@conmix.com - web: www.conmix.com

Front elevation of Prathap G's house - another look

2009-10-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Prathap G's Residential Plot at Omalloor

2009-10-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Another view of Prathap G's property at Omalloor

2009-10-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Prathap's relatives at the ground breaking ceremony

2009-10-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

There is a house on the northern side of this plot. The roof-top of that house is visible above the wall. They are the very people who are trying to obstruct the construction of my house.

Main road in front of Prathap's property

2009-10-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

Engineer and relatives of Prathap G

2009-10-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Prathap presenting Dakshina to Mestry

2009-10-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Prathap presenting Dakshina to an elder

2009-10-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

Google’s Wave takes aim at email (DPA)

2009-10-01T00:42:00.000-07:00

1 October 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - Google is to release a new product aimed at making email obsolete, the company said in a blog posting Tuesday.

Google Wave combines the best features of email, instant messaging, social networking and collaborative document editing and will be released Wednesday to 100,000 developers and selected corporate users, the company said.

Called a personal communication and collaboration tool, the open source product was first unveiled at a Google developer conference in May, and will now be unleashed on an army of developers to iron out the bugs.

The application was developed in Australia by Jens and Lars Rasmussen, the brothers who had a key role in developing Google Maps.

According to its inventors, Google Wave will do to email what the computer did to the typewriter. In a blog posting announcing the product, Lars Rasmussen said that email and instant messaging were designed to mimic snail mail and phone calls, whereas Wave was designed to take advantage of current abilities rather than imitating non-electronic forms.

Thus one person can create a Wave and add people to it. Everyone will be able to use richly formatted text, photos, gadgets and web feeds, and edit any document in real time. Wave also features built- in translation tools for 40 languages.

The development comes as Google increasingly seeks to spread its dominance from its core strength in internet search to a wider range of technologies.

The company has already made strong headway with its Android software for mobile phones, and its Google Voice application is fast picking up adherents who are using it to bypass traditional phone companies. However Google Apps, the company’s online productivity suite, has yet to make strong inroads in the corporate world where Microsoft’s Office suite still dominates.

Enterprise service companies like SAP and Salesforce are already developing their own applications to piggyback on the open source application. Other gadgets include a trip-planning tool from Lonely Planet, a real time Soduko game and a live meeting point called 6rounds that enables people to interact together over the internet, and Google plans to open an iPhone-like App Store to encourage further outside development.

Gaddafi at UN: No Laughing Matter!

2009-09-28T01:38:00.001-07:00

Gaddafi at UN: No Laughing Matter!

Posted using ShareThis

Tweets and Threats

2009-09-24T04:26:00.001-07:00

Letter by Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai, which appeared in Khaleej Times Newspaper on 22 September 2009.

Shashi Tharoor’s reference to the economy class in trains and flights as ‘cattle class’, is believed to have hurt Indian sentiments. And he has been asked to resign. This is preposterous. Tharoor is a bright, articulate and intelligent professional with an excellent track record. India should be thrilled that someone of a professional calibre has joined the cabinet. We need more men like him in politics.

In many countries, the economy class is referred to as the ‘cattle class’ purely colloquially, since it is crowded and the service is average. Having said this, Tharoor’s comments,  about the economy class  in Indian railways and airlines, are literally and absolutely correct.

The controversy about Tharoor’s comments emanate from the fact that recently Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi travelled economy class. But, when VVIPs travel in the economy section, it turns out to be more expensive!

I would therefore urge Indian VVIPs to please continue travelling in first class or private planes. Saving a few lakhs of rupees by travelling economy is not going to make India rich. However, if we can persuade the Swiss banks to return to India all the unaccounted deposits, amounting to $ 1.5 trillion, we could perhaps convert all economy classes to first classes! - Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai.

You said it, and you are absolutely correct, dear Rajendra – Prathap G.

Careerjet

2009-08-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Careerjet is an employment search engine.

In just one search access 17.632.053 jobs published on 69.323 websites in the world.
82.969 jobs published in the United Arab Emirates.

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Murali

2009-08-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

Eminent Malayalam film actor Murali died in a hospital here tonight after a brief illness.

An acute diabetic patient, Murali was admitted to a private hospital today and the end came as he suffered a heart attack, hospital sources said.

Murali, 55, is survived by wife and a daughter.

Murali had acted in around 200 films in his 30-year career.

He won the National award (Bharath) for the best actor in 2001 for his performance in "Neythukaaran" (Weaver) and had won four State awards for acting.

"Njhaattadi" (1979) directed by late 'Bharat' Gopi was his first film. His notable films include 'Panchaagni', 'Laal Salaam', 'Venkalam', 'Amaram', 'Champakulam Thachan', 'Gershome', 'Ekaantham', 'Chamayam' and 'Meenamaasathile Sooryan'.

Rajan P Dev

2009-08-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

Rajan P. Dev (May 20, 1953 - July 29, 2009) was an Indian film and stage actor.

He was born in Cherthala in Alappuzha district of Kerala. He had acted in over 140 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films. He was noted for his villain roles laced with a touch of humour. He came into limelight for his characterisation of Kochuvava in the play Kattukuthira.

Rajan P. Dev died in Kochi Wednesday 29th July 2009 due to a liver disease.

Despite portraying several memorable characters on screen, he never recieved any film awards. He had received two state awards for his roles in two dramas, including Kattukuthira.

Dev was also the vice president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

Sponsorship Reform in Bahrain

2009-08-02T05:05:00.000-07:00

Sponsorship reform could be GCC wide.

Bahrain’s new sponsorship law, giving expatriate workers similar freedoms to Bahraini nationals, has the support of labour ministries across the Gulf, the Bahrain labour minister has said.

But, HE Dr Majeed Al Alawi added, “huge lobbying from the private sector” has to date prevented them from going ahead.

As revealed by Construction Week in April, Bahrain will become the first Gulf state to abolish its existing sponsorship system, allowing foreign workers to switch jobs without the consent of their previous employer, from August 1.

The move represents a substantial shift in a sponsorship system that is common across the GCC states.

“All ministers of labour in the Gulf believe in what I am saying,” Al Alawi said. “But, in the next five years, most of them will do exactly what we are doing now. Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE will be the first to jump.”

But the new law, which will bring Bahrain more in line with international labour standards, has met with fierce resistance from sections of the business community.

The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry has pushed to delay the legislation, claiming that, if an employer has bankrolled its employee’s relocation, the employee would be free to resign at any time, rendering the new legislation economically unfeasible.

And parliament has risen alongside the business communuity, bidding to postpone introduction of the law until 2010.

But Al Alawi has remained steadfast. “There is strong opposition from employers, but it is good for the market.”

“It will end the black market for illegal visas and will raise salaries, because workers will have an option to go to employers who will treat and pay them better.”

Gulf Research Centre senior economics researcher Dr Samir Pradhan hailed the move. “This law will be a milestone in the region,” he said. “Both in the short and long run, it will be highly economically beneficial.

“It will make the case for a competitive labor market with clear signals regarding exact supply-demand fundamentals.”

Pradhan called private sector opposition in the GCC “highly presumptuous” and said it was highly likely that other GCC states will follow Bahrain’s example “given the incessant international pressure for labor reforms.”

Under the new law, expatriate workers will be allowed to move to another job by giving three months notice and adhering to the terms of their contract.

If a contract ends, then employees will be given one month to find a new job, during which time they will be paid unemployment benefits, Al Alawi confirmed - Benjamin Millington , August 2nd, 2009.

Success in Life

2009-07-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

10 Commandments for Success in Life

Here are ten points gleaned from the writings of Sri Swami Sivananda, which can lead any individual towards success in their chosen path in life. These guidelines have the power to benefit you - physically, mentally and spiritually.

1. Have a simple and unassuming manner of life.

2. Live not to eat, but eat to live.

3. Bear no envy. Commit no slander. Speak no falsehood. Practise no deceit. Harbor no malice. You will be ever joyful, happy and peaceful.

4. Righteousness is the rule of life. Lead a virtuous life. Strictly adhere to Dharma. Human life is not human without virtues. Study the lives of saints and draw inspiration from them.

5. Cultivate a melting heart, the giving hand, the kindly speech, the life of service, equal vision, and impartial attitude. Your life will, indeed, be blessed.

6. Lead a regulated life. Take hold of each day as if it were the last day, and utilize every second in prayer, meditation and service. Let your life become a continuous sacrifice to God.

7. Live in the present. Forget the past. Give up hopes of the future.

8. Understand well the meaning of life, and then start the quest.

9. Life is thy greatest gift. Utilize every second profitably.

10. Success often comes to those who dare and act. It seldom comes to the timid.

May you all attain success in life! - Swami Sivananda

Twitter Experience - Maximize it

2009-07-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

10 Quick & Easy Ways To Maximize Your Twitter Experience

1. Use Your Photo For Your Avatar

Your image is the first thing most people see when deciding whether to follow you – it should represent what your Twitter account represents.

Your avatar should ideally be a recent photo of YOU. At a pinch, it can be your brand’s logo but if you’re the only person who will be using the account a photo is still better. It’s more personable and people will warm to you and become familiar with it. Don’t use a cartoon or picture of a celebrity or character from a movie or TV show. If you decide to go with a photo of you and your partner or your entire family, expect people to be confused as to who exactly is writing the tweets.

Upload a large image in as high a resolution as you can manage taken with a decent digital camera – go for a JPG or PNG over a GIF. Twitter allows up to 700KB and will shrink it down for you but when somebody visits your profile page and clicks on your image it should get bigger, not stay the same size. Moreover, many Twitter clients (i.e., TweetDeck) enlarge the avatar when somebody clicks on a profile, and a small, low-res image will display extremely pixelated. Don’t change your photo too often – other users tend to see the image before the name, and you can get lost if you change your image too frequently.

2. Complete Your Profile

Include your real name, make sure your timezone and location are both accurate and fill out your bio with things that are interesting and relevant to you. This will ensure that when people search for users to follow your account will show up – if you just include quirky stuff then expect quirky followers (or none at all). Think twice before protecting your updates – if you have the Mafia on your tail you might want to consider a more secure network. Twitter is all about socialisation. It’s not really a place to hide.

3. Find People To Follow

Use Twitter’s Find People feature. Invite your friends from other social networks and via email. Pick ten people from the suggested users list. Check out external trackers and directories like Twittercounter and Twellow. See who your friends are following. Repeat.

4. Follow Back

When somebody follows you, check out their profile and if they seem at all interesting, follow them back. It’s courteous and encourages socialisation.
If they turn out to be an ass, a spammer or both, unfollow them.

5. Be Interesting

Don’t take Twitter’s ‘What are you doing?’ question too literally. There’s a place for the inane on Twitter but if that’s all you tweet about, people are going to get really bored, really quickly. Find and share content. Be interesting.

6. Start Conversations With Strangers

Don’t be shy or wait to be spoken to – strike up conversations with people you don’t know. It doesn’t matter if they’re world-famous or unknown folk you’ve just started following: talk to them.

7. Ask Questions

Ask questions, both one-to-one and open to your entire network. Twitter is a great way to get solutions to things that require experience or an opinion. And if somebody answers your query or solves your problem, be thankful.

8. Answer Questions

If you know the answer to a posted question, answer it. If you know some of the answer, reply back. Don’t wait for or assume somebody else will do this. Take the initiative. Use Twitter’s search facility to find common problems and solve them with your expertise.

9. Use TweetDeck

TweetDeck is a desktop application that makes Twitter much, much better. Use it. You won’t regret it.

10. Build A Positive Reputation

This can be accomplished easily by following the steps above. Consider your etiquette. Remember your A-B-C: Always Be Crediting. Re-tweet the good content of others. Thank people when they re-tweet you. Be mindful about what you post, especially if you’ve had a drink, are feeling unwell or in a particularly foul mood. Use short links. Use hashtags but do so sparingly and with good reason. Have an opinion, but don’t be a hater or overly negative.

Most of all, be consistent, friendly, interesting and useful. And have fun.

Bukhatir Group Sports City in Tunisia

2009-07-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

Bukhatir Group Launches $5b ‘Sports City’ in Tunisia.

DUBAI - 23 July 2009 - Sports Cities International, a unit of the Dubai-based Bukhatir Group, has started work on a 256-hectare development and sports complex in Tunisia that is likely to cost more than $5 billion upon its scheduled completion in 2024, the company said  on Wednesday.

Sports Cities began earlier this month to market upscale apartments that it plans to build at the project, called Tunis Sports City. Workers are currently grading ground for an 18-hole golf course and planting trees, though actual construction won’t start until November, the company said.

Tunis Sports City, located in the northern suburbs of Tunisia’s capital city Tunis, is the second sports-themed development that Sports Cities is building overseas. A similar but smaller project in Tangiers, Morocco, is almost complete, it said.

Bukhatir Group’s push to develop “sports cities” outside the UAE was motivated in part by its experience in building Dubai Sports City, in which Bukhatir has a 33 per cent stake. Dubai Sports City opened in Dubai in May. The recession has pummelled demand for lavish property complexes, and Tunis Sports City is a sign of the opportunities Bukhatir sees for similar properties in other countries.

“This is definitely a great time to invest in North Africa. The region has remained unaffected by the global crisis and continues to prosper, particularly in the areas of tourism and real estate. The Bukhatir Group is a highly diversified conglomerate and this project is certainly aligned with our overall vision”, Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Chairman of the Bukhatir Group, said in  a statement.

Tunis Sports City is to comprise world-standard sports facilities that aim to attract international sports competitions. The complex will include residential towers, business centers, shopping malls, sports complexes, schools and hotels, in addition to a golf course certified by the Professional Golfers’ Association, Sports Cities said.

The first residential tower is planned for completion in 2012, and the completed development will house as many as 30,000 people. Sports Cities will finance most of the project itself, the company said.

Tunis Sports City began its first phase on July 10 with off-plan sales of apartments at a luxury tower, the Burj Almasa, planned at a 13-hectare residential golfing community. Buyers snapped up more than 90 per cent of the tower’s apartments within the first week, the statement quoted Paul Crosetta, the Chief Executive Officer - International for Sports Cities International, as saying. Tunis Sports City’s sports district will have facilities built to specifications for international sports bodies and will host academies for swimming, track and field, volleyball and soccer. Tunis Sports City has signed agreements with several international institutes and sports clubs such as Olympique de Marseille and the American Swimming Coaches Association to oversee the academies, it said.

Sport Cities International said it is evaluating other opportunities in Sri Lanka, South Africa, India and Vietnam.

The company has slowed its work on a proposed sports city in Lahore, Pakistan, due to concerns about political instability in that country. “A decision on the development timeline is yet to be finalised,” it said.

China to attack India by 2012

2009-07-14T04:07:00.000-07:00

China to attack India by 2012: Defence Expert.

Bangalore: China will attack India by 2012 to distract the attention of its own people from "unprecedented" internal dissent, growing unemployment and financial problems that are threatening the hold of Communists in that country, according to a leading defence expert.

"China will launch an attack on India before 2012. There are multiple reasons for a desperate Beijing to teach India the final lesson, thereby ensuring Chinese supremacy in Asia in this century," said Bharat Verma, Editor, Indian Defence Review.

According to Verma, the recession has "shut the Chinese exports shop", developing an "unprecedented internal social unrest" which in return, was severely jeopardizing Communists grip over the society. Rising unemployment, flight of capital worth billions of dollars, depletion of its foreign exchange reserves and growing internal dissent are several other reasons for this assessment.

"The growing irrelevance of Pakistan, their right hand that operates against India on their behest, is increasing the Chinese nervousness," he said adding that the U.S. President Barak Obama's Afghan-Pak policy was basically a Pak-Afghan policy that has "intelligently set thief to catch the thief".

"Beijing was already rattled, with its proxy Pakistan now literally embroiled in a civil war, losing its sheen against India." The assessment also states that China is worried over the India's growing alliances with the U.S. and the West, because it has the potential to create a technologically superior counterpoise.

"All these three concerns of Chinese Communists are best addressed by waging a war against pacifist India to achieve multiple strategic objectives," said Verma.

As China allowed North Korea to test underground nuclear explosion in a hidden manner, and carry out missile trials, it was also "increasing its naval presence in South China Sea to coerce into submission those opposing its claim on the Sprately Islands," the expert said.

It would be inexpedient for recession-hit China to move against the Western interests, including Japan, at this point of time. "Therefore, the most attractive option is to attack a soft target like India and forcibly occupy its territory in the Northeast," said Verma.

On ground, India is least prepared to face the Chinese threat, he says. Verma puts a series of questions on India's response to repulse the Chinese game plan or whether Indian leadership would be able to "take the heat of war".

"Is Indian military equipped to face the two-front wars by Beijing and Islamabad? Is the Indian civil administration geared to meet the internal security challenges that the external actors will sponsor simultaneously through their doctrine of unrestricted warfare? "The answers are an unequivocal 'no'. Pacifist India is not ready by a long shot either on the internal or the external front," he opined.

By SilicInindia news bureau - Monday,13 July 2009, 08:10 hrs

SiliconIndia

librahitech - follow me on Twitter

Managers should act like owners open for business

2009-07-12T01:28:00.000-07:00

What would your customers say if they could see your expenses claim? The abstemious can rest easy. But extravagant restaurant receipts, first-class travel and accommodation, huge taxi fares - such things might not endear you to the people you are supposed to be serving.

You should expect a tough conversation about the prices you charge if customers get the impression you are enjoying the high life with their money.

That is why smart business leaders advise their colleagues to imagine they are spending their own money when they are out on company business. Act like an owner, the adage goes. Be responsible. Think before you splash the company's cash about.

This is a micro-level example of what has been called the "principal-agent problem". Even the most senior managers are not, usually, the owners of the business they are working for.

It may not be easy for them to think and act like an owner. At the same time, can owners be confident that managers are working in the company's best interests and not simply pursuing their own selfish agenda?

This question was explored by two academics, Michael Jensen and William Meckling, in a famous 1976 paper (Theory of the firm: managerial behaviour, agency costs and ownership structure), which popularised so-called agency theory.

Their answer to the problem? Among other things, try to align the interests of managers and shareholders. Use share options to give managers "skin in the game", a personal interest in the success - or failure - of the company.

There have been, to put it at its gentlest, regrettable unintended consequences to the spread of this theory. It turns out that the simple solution of share options does not solve the complicated problem of how to encourage and reward effective, responsible management.

For one thing, senior managers may not have the same time horizons as owners. A chief executive might reasonably calculate that he or she will be given no more than three or four years to run the business before their time is up.

You would understand it if that CEO worked pretty hard to get the share price up fast in order to make those share options more valuable.

Prof Jensen conceded in 2002, in the wake of the dotcom crash, that the incentives he regarded as crucial could do terrible harm.

"In the bubble, the carrots (options) became managerial heroin, encouraging a focus on short-term prices with destructive long-term consequences," he said. "It also encouraged behaviour that actually reduced the value of some firms to their shareholders."

In an important critique published in 2004 (Bad management theories are destroying good management practices), Sumantra Ghoshal condemned agency theory as an example of all that was wrong with management.

Amoral theories taught in business schools, he said, had "actively freed their students from any sense of moral responsibility".

According to this critique, the theory seems to launch a cycle of distrust. Managers are knaves, out for themselves, who have to be tied in with share options.
But managers who feel regarded in this way can become unmotivated and in the end untrustworthy. Why has executive pay exploded over the past 20 years? Partly, Prof Ghoshal suggested, because managers have sunk to reach the low expectations people have for them.

So is the idea of managers acting like owners a futile dream? Not necessarily but it's a tricky path to navigate - Financial Times
Published: July 08, 2009, 22:52